London tram station opens for first time in 70 years

The station was given a CGI makeover to appear in the 1998 film Avengers

The Kingsway station closed down after the Second World War (London Transport Museum)

A hidden disused underground tram station in central London is set to reopen to the public after almost 70 years.

Kingsway station, in the Holborn area, will be open for people to walk the platforms and halls in the same way passengers did before it closed in 1952.

It was built by the London County Council, as part of a slum clearance and renewal programme for the Holborn and Aldwych areas, and opened in 1906.

The station facilitated an underground interchange between the double-decker trams that served the north and south of the city for 46 years.

Its short lifespan was partly down to the electrified tram system falling out of favour with commuters, as other forms of transport such as cars, buses, and the expanding Tube system became more popular.

The station’s tram underpass was given a CGI makeover to be portrayed as the entrance to the Ministry, a fictional secret bunker under the Thames, in the 1998 Avengers film.

The cobbled Grade II-listed subway is one of its kind in Britain, and more than half of the subway still exists – complete with original features such as the tram rails and electrical conduits.

"There are glimpses of the old glamour that still shine through," said Siddy Holloway, engagement manager at the London Transport Museum, which is organising the tours that will take place from August until September.